The New York Knicks have finally ended their tumultuous relationship with troubled guard, Latrell Sprewell. In a blockbuster trade, the New York Knicks have traded Latrell Sprewell and Clarence Weatherspoon to the Portland Trailblazers for Damon Stoudamire and Ruben Patterson.

&quot;Latrell Sprewell is an exceptionally talented player, who will make a major contribution to the team. Of course, we will miss Damon and Ruben, but we think Latrell and Clarence can take our team to the next level&quot;, said Portland general manager Bob Whitsitt.

Last season, Sprewell shot 19.4 points per game at only 40.4% field goal percentage. Clarence Weatherspoon averaged 8.8 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. Damon Stoudamire averaged 15.5 points and 7.1 assists per game. Ruben Patterson averaged 11.1 points off the bench for the Blazers.

This trade comes after a bizarre series of events in which New York general manager said that Latrell Sprewell will play for the Knicks this season.

&quot;Certainly yesterday was a New York moment,&quot; general manager Scott Layden said before a October 22 exhibition game against Utah at Madison Square Garden.

When asked whether Sprewell would play again for New York this season, Layden responded, &quot;Oh, absolutely.&quot;

Sprewell has angered the Knicks before, but the team usually looks the other way. The Knicks fined him $125,000 for missing a shootaround in Miami in April, but Sprewell convinced them to rescind all but $2,500 of it.

But the team laid down the law when Sprewell reported for camp with a broken finger, without having told the team previously. He claims he slipped and fell on his yacht. The Post, quoting anonymous sources, reported that Sprewell threw a punch at someone on the boat and hit a wall instead.

The Knicks ordered Sprewell to stay away from the team until he could make a &quot;positive contribution,&quot; but Sprewell said he felt demeaned when he was asked to report to the practice facility during times when his teammates weren't there.

Sprewell said Monday that he and the Knicks could work out their differences, but &quot;I don't know if that's what they really want, because they keep trying to push me further away.&quot;

The Blazer players are not without their own problems. Damon Stoudamire was recently acquitted of possession of marijuana, after police investigated a burglar alarm in his Lake Oswega home. Frustrated with his role on the team, he demanded to be played or a trade before training camp started.

In 2001, Ruben Patterson pleaded guilty to attempted rape on children's 24-year old nanny. He was suspended 5 games and is a registered sex offender.

Sprewell was suspended for the final 68 games of the 1997-98 season by the NBA after choking Golden State coach P.J. Carlesimo. The suspension cost Sprewell $6.4 million in salary.